New Rope Recommendations

Rope buying has always been a frustrating endeavor. The opportunities to try out a rope before you buy it are limited to what your climbing partners have available, rope manufacturers do a poor job of explaining the nuanced differences in their ropes, and the number of good, and extensively comparative rope reviews on the internet are seriously lacking.

Furthermore, I typically buy new ropes every few years, and the rope technology always seems to be changing...

Ergo: Another "everyone has an opinion on MP about ropes!" thread commences.

To help guide your much appreciated input: I primarily climb single and multi-pitch trad routes. My sport climbing is very limited and I already have a rope that's excellent for working projects / hang-dogging. I do occasionally climb moderate alpine routes. I just retired an old 10.2 (or 10.5?) Beal 60m that I absolutely loved. It was incredibly durable, had a fantastically strong sheath, the catches were wonderfully soft, and perhaps most importantly for me, it remained VERY supple even after years of use.

The rope I'm looking for is 70m (a lot of Eldo climbing), preferably bi-weave, but not necessary, and in the 9.4-9.7 range (somewhere between 58-61 g/m). Like my previous Beal I am very interested in durability of sheath (I climb a lot at Vedauwoo) and supple hand, even after extensive use. Price point is a secondary consideration, but will still factor into my decision. I'm also planning on at least a dry cover, but likely a golden (double?) dry rope.

Some personal biases: I really like Beal (for the above mentioned properties) and New England. I've never had experience with Sterling or Blue Water ropes. I'm biased against Mammut due to really terrible experiences with the Tusk 9.8 (too stiff). I've read it's a price point rope however, so if there are people with experience with their newer and thinner ropes, I'm all ears.

Ropes I'm considering based on my prejudices, and the limited info I could find on the internet:
Beal Stinger III, 9.4 70m
Beal Booster III, 9.7 70m
Trango Diamond, 9.4 70m
Blue Water Dominator, 9.4, 70m (if I can find one lingering around on the internet somewhere...)

If you have, and love your Mammut Tusk 9.8 or Petzl Fuse 9.4 I'm happy you've found a rope that works for you, but I'm certain they aren't for me.

What ropes am I not considering that meet my requirements? Does anyone have first-hand experience with the Stinger vs. Booster over a long period of time? Thanks in advance for any input!

I see why buying a new rope is frustrating for you! Analysis paralysis.

Sterling Ion 9.4 Bi-Pattern 70m. Workhorse rope for me.

Mammut Infinity duodess dry (sheath and core) bi-colored 70m is pricey but hits all of your criteria and is well worth it in my experience and from what I've heard from many other trad climbers I know. I only bought mine last season and didn't use it a ton, but I hear from others that it's quite durable. Keep an eye out for a 20-25% off sale and go for it.

I've had a couple stingers and a booster and both held up well. I always get the Golden dry models... I do not believe they have bi-color options tho? For the past season I've been using a Eidelweis bicolor double dry 9.6. I don't remember the name at this moment. Holding up well, handles great, and more price point for a bicolor/double dry. If money were not a factor I'd go Sterling or BlueWater tho. They seem to hold up a little longer from my experience.

I pretty much only use Mammut, positive experience after another. Great feel and workability and long term durability (possibly because I dont mind 10+mm ropes - thicker ropes are notoriously durable - any reason you're looking to go so much (hah a millimeter) thinner?). The bi pattern is a really nice and welcome feature if you can swing it.

On the other end of spectrum, love Petzl's hardgoods, but have heard only negative things about their ropes and would tread cautiously there.

I haven't used Beal but they've been around and I respect them, if you like their product I'd say stick with em.

Logan Schiff wrote:Mammut Infinity duodess dry (sheath and core) bi-colored 70m is pricey but hits all of your criteria and is well worth it in my experience and from what I've heard from many other trad climbers I know. I only bought mine last season and didn't use it a ton, but I hear from others that it's quite durable. Keep an eye out for a 20-25% off sale and go for it.

+1
Love the 9.5 infinity duodess 70m

I recently got a Petzl Arial (9.5) and it is silky smooth, supple and overall I'm liking it very much. Can't talk to durability yet obviously.

Andy Hansen wrote:Sterling Ion 9.4 Bi-Pattern 70m. Workhorse rope for me.

That's a damn good rope.

Guys, thanks. Thus far helpful input. Big negatives I've heard on Petzl is their rope sheath isn't super durable. The granite at Vedauwoo is...abrasive, and less than kind to weaker sheaths, so that's a pretty important consideration for me.

Dan, I want a thinner rope because I already have a huge TR gumby hauling rope, and access to a variety of ropes in the 9.7-10.5 range, so I want something thin / light for longer and harder multipitch routes, as well as something I can rely on as a daily driver when my partner doesn't have a fatter more conducive rope for a day at the crag.

I definitely get that people like the Sterling Ion 9.4, but those of you with that experience, can you elaborate a little more? Rope buying is (for me at least) super preferential / nuanced, so I'm curious as to why you like the ion? What are the properties about it that have proven it to be so favorable?

Also, I'm super interested in anyone talking about their experience with the two beals listed above...

Gold Plated Rocket Pony wrote: +1 Love the 9.5 infinity duodess 70m

Best rope I've ever owned, for sure.

A partner of mine has their (I think it's called) Revolution 9.2 in a 60, we really liked that also, I've climbed about 30 pitches on that one and liked it a lot.

Sagar Gondalia wrote: I definitely get that people like the Sterling Ion 9.4, but those of you with that experience, can you elaborate a little more? Rope buying is (for me at least) super preferential / nuanced, so I'm curious as to why you like the ion? What are the properties about it that have proven it to be so favorable?

Handles well, reasonably durable for its thickness, generally well-made. It is a pretty soft/supple rope, which you'll like since it sounds like you don't like stiff ropes. Doesn't seem to kink. The sheath has a somewhat unique texture to it--somewhat hard to describe--but I like it.

Hey Sagar,
Check out the Edelweiss Energy 9.5mm. It comes in a Bi-pattern 70m and has treated us very well. We are on our second Energy and I would definitely buy another once this one wears out. I had an Ion in the past and prefer the Energy as it has lasted much longer, is cheaper, and has a slightly(!) stiffer feel than the Ion. Buddies always commented that my Ion felt really soft even when it was fairly new still. As you said, it's all about preference, and my preference is to save a couple bucks and get a rope that will last longer.

Another enthusiastic vote for the Mammut Infinity 9.5. I bought the 60m 2 years and easily 200+ pitches ago and it's still going strong. I liked it so much that I recently bought the 70m bicolor.

I just keep buying the Sterling 9.8 evolution velocity ropes 62 g/m.

Last me a couple years.

I had a sterling 9.4 70m which I really liked before it was stolen. To replace it I got a Roca IO 70m 9.4 which I really like. Definitely been abusing it since September and it's still in great shape. Roca is distributed by Fixe in the States and the IO is super cheap right now, like $155 bucks for the 70m.

Had great experience recently with Edlewise 1:1 sheath wave... bomber ropes IMO! I have had several bad ropes from sterling recently.

I just bought a 70M 9.7mm Blue Water Lightning Pro (bi-pattern and dry treated) for single and mutli-pitch trad climbing. It's actually on sale here: backcountry.com/blue-water-…

I've only used it on maybe around 30 pitches and I'm really impressed so far. I've taken a few falls on small gear and the catch was super soft.

I bought three 9.4 ropes last year from three different companies. Petzl, Edelweiss, and Sterling. I've used Sterling ropes for a while now but wanted to see what other manufacturers had to offer. What I've learned while rotating these ropes in service is that so far the only major difference I've noticed is feel. The Edelweiss feels the stiffest and least fuzzy, which I like. The Petzl is the most supple with a little bit of fuzz and the Sterling is the most fuzzy but still feels pretty supple. I think Petzl may have moved beyond their previous durability issues. Sterling is always solid but really nobody makes a bad rope and when they do it's usually all over the web (Petzl a few years ago). The only thing that matters is personal preference of feel as it breaks in which you can kind of get the gist of by people's comments here and online reviews.

Just get something skinny like the Nano or that 8.7 Serenity from Mammut (sexy!). If you're climbing in the Voo and Eldo the 70 is just going to cause you to link pitches unnecessarily and get yourself tons of rope drag (or run it out in order to avoid it). If those were the only places I climbed I'd get a 50m rope but that's just me. The more I climb the more I think I can get up and down almost anything with a 50m rope and some minor shenanigans.

Edelrid, Edelrid, Edelrid. For all the reasons you mentioned and so many more.

Known supple ropes

Beal, tendon, sterling, some edelrids....

Ropes that get stiff after enough usage ... Maxims and mammuts (i own 6)

Ropes that gives soft catches ... Beal, tendon

Theres others i havent used, but ive used or owned most of the stuff commonly available in canuckistan

Try the beal booster/tiger ... Of the tendon ambition ... For supple handling and soft catches

;)